Fisk Falls to Wilberforce in a Close Battle

NASHVILLE (February 15, 2025) - In a thrilling match on Senior Night in Nashville, Michael Ashley put on a stellar performance for the Fisk University Bulldogs, recording 20 points and a career-high 27 rebounds. Despite his monumental effort, it wasn't enough to secure a victory, as Fisk fell to Wilberforce University 75-73.

The game was particularly special for Ashley, who played in front of his family from Georgia. Last week, he recorded his 1,000th career rebound against Rust College and is now just 11 points away from reaching 1,000 career points.

Fisk's strategy focused on neutralizing Wilberforce guard Cali Davis, who had previously torched them with 36 points in their last encounter, including a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds that led to an overtime loss. This time, Davis struggled with foul trouble and finished with just four points. In his stead, Eduardo Diaz stepped up, scoring 22 points off the bench, going 6-of-10 from three-point range after being held scoreless in the first game.

Fisk struggled from the free throw line going 7-of-16. That and Wilberforce's 45-24 advantage off the bench were keys to the loss.

"We didn't play well to start the second half, and we ran out of gas," said Fisk head coach Jeremiah Crutcher. "Their guys stepped up and we could make shots. We had our chances but free throws killed us.

Preston Steele contributed with 12 points and ten rebounds, while Nekthy James added ten points off the bench. Jamir Hymes was the only Wilberforce starter to score double figures, finishing with ten points.

The game saw Fisk down 48-41 when Ty Coley hit his first three-pointer of the season, sparking a 14-1 run. This surge was capped by two consecutive baskets from Ashley, putting Fisk up 55-49. However, Wilberforce managed to regain the lead. In the final moments, with Wilberforce up by four, Ashley converted a conventional three-point play to cut the lead to one. With four seconds remaining and down by two, Doyel Cockrill's three-point attempt fell short, giving Wilberforce their sixth consecutive win.

Cockrill III had an impressive game with 15 points and 11 assists, while Justin McNelkan also scored 15 points.

Wilberforce (13-12, 9-8)
Jamir Hymes 3-10 4-5 10, Preston Steele 5-6 2-6 12, Germaine Marshall 2-6 0-0 4, Eduardo Diaz 7-12 2-4 22, Cali Davis 1-4 2-2 4, RJ Pettis 0-4 1-2 1, Jesse Olverson Jr. 2-5 1-2 5, Kekthy James 4-6 2-3 10, Josiah Mobley 3-11 1-2 7, Kenneth Jackson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-65 15-26 75

Fisk University (9-18,7-10)
Doyel Cockrill III 5-14 2-3 15, Justin McNelkan 5-15 1-2 15, Ta'San Coleman 1-1 0-0 2, Lucious Jackson 0-6 0-0 0, Mitch Seay 5-10 2-7 12, Michael Ashley 9-22 2-3 20, Kailon Benton-Hamilton 2-8 0-1 4, Solomon Mustafa-Reid 0-0 0-0 0, Tyler Coley 1-1 0-0 3, Chris Spears 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 29-78 7-16 73

FG%: Wilberforce .415, Fisk University .372. 3-pt FG:Wilberforce 6-23 (Hymes 0-2, Diaz 6-10, Davis 0-2, Pettis 0-4, Mobley 0-5), Fisk University 8-26 (Cockrill III 3-8, McNelkan 4-9, Jackson 0-2, Seay 0-1, Ashley 0-2, Benton-Hamilton 0-3, Coley 1-1). Rebounds: Wilberforce 49 (Steele 10), Fisk University 50 (Ashley 27). Fouls Wilberforce 18, Fisk University 18. Fouled out: Steele, and Davis . Technical: none. Assists: Wilberforce 12 (Hymes 5), Fisk University 22 (Cockrill III 11). Steals: Wilberforce 4 (Steele 1, Marshall 1, Davis 1, Pettis 1), Fisk University 8 (Benton-Hamilton 3). Blocked shots: Wilberforce 4 (Olverson Jr. 3), Fisk University 1 (Ashley 1). Turnovers: Wilberforce 11, Fisk University 10. Attendance: 711.